Letter-holder and envelop-opener.



W SILVBRMAN LETTER HOLDER um BNvBLoP OPENER.

AYPLIOLTIOI FILED JAH. 6, 1910.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

INVENTOR M WITNESSESI ATTORNEY WULF SILVERMAN,

F NEW YORK, N. Y.

LETTER-HOLDER AND ENVELOP-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

Application filed January 5, 1910. Serial No. 536,455.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, 'Wi'nr lnvnuuax, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, in the county of New York and Stato of New York, United States of America, havt` invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Holders and Envelop-Openers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a letter holder and envelop opener by means of which letters may be securely held within an envelop in transit, and by means of which the inclosing envelop may be opened and the letter removed by a simple manipulation.

I will describe my invention in the following specification and point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improved letter holder and envelop opener without the envelop and with a letter shown thereon. The latter is broken away to more clearly show the device. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the envelop with one of my improved holders and openers within, and with the tab bent back in the manner in which it is to be transmitted.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

10 designates a rectangular member of cardboard or other material of sulicient stiffness which forms the body portion of the device. On one of the transverse borders of this main portion or body of the device is affixed an extension 11 of thin metal or other desired material. This extension may, if preferred, be an integral part of the body portion. This extension is constructed with two obliquely disposed cutting edges 12 which run into a central lug or tab 13 which projects beyond them and is perferably provided with a hole 14. On the opposite side of this lnetallic member and also centrally located in respect of the card or body is a tongue l which, for the purpose of reducing weight, may be cut away as at 16. Any suitable means for afixing the extension 11 to the card may be employed. I find a suitable and convenient manner of accomplishing this is to punch some of the metal through the card as at 17 and to head it 55 over on the opposite surface of the card. 0n the other transverse border of the card is aflixcd a tongue 1S which overlaps the surface ot the card and ma)v be cut awa)v as at 151 to reduce its weight. This too is axed to the card in some such manner as that above described in connection with the extension 1l.

2() designates a letter or other article which is to be held by the above described device and inclosed within an envelop.

The envelop is shown in Fig. 2 and is designated by the numeral 21. It is of ordinary construction, except that on one of its edges a slot 22 is cut away which is slightly longer than the width of the tab 13.

The operation and use of this device are simple. The letter is first folded into a size and shape approximately the same as or slightly smaller than that of the body or card 10, so that it may be laid upon the card with its ends slipped under the tongues 15 and 18 as shown in Fig. 1. It is thus held upon the card, and the holder with the letter is placed within the envelop. The tab is then pushed through the slot 22 and bent back upon the outside of the envelop; then the envelop is sealed and is ready to be sent through the mails. To open the envelop and remove the letter the tab is first bent. back into a plane with the rest of the holder as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Now, a longitudinal pull upon the tab will f oreewtliem cuttingwedges 12 through the edge of the envelpp and will re'move the holder and the letter therefrom. The holder is of course somewhatsmaller than the envelop and is considerably shorter, so that a space is left within the envelop at 23, opposite its slot 22, so that this part of the envelop may be grasped between the fingers during this manipulation Without pinching the letter and its holder, and thus preventing its easy removal.

It is my intention to place advertising or other matter upon either or both surfaces of the card 10 so that it may be seen after its removal from the envelop, and the hole 14 not only reduces the Weight of the device, but provides means for hangin the holder up in a conspicuous place bot before and after its transmittal.

What I claim is 1. A letter holder adapted to be placed within an envelop, said holder comprising a card, metallic members aixed to the ends thereof, both of said members being constructed to form holding tongues and one of the members also forming a cutting edge und :l tab adapted to project therefrom throu h the envelop.

2. letter holder adapted to be placed within :111 envelop, said holder comprising :l card, means at opposite ends of said card arranged to lie over :L letter placed upon the card and to hold the letter in place upon the card, and a cutting member of metal affixed to one end of the card, said member having obliquely disposed cutting edges, and a centrally disposed tub adapted to project through the envelop.

In testimony whereof I have signed my )mme to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VULF SILVERMAN.

Witnesses ELLA TUCH, MARIE L. BRESLIX.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

